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Farmers On The Move

How did humans stop wandering and start farming? It’s a crucial question, because farming allowed our ancestors to move beyond itinerant lifestyles into more permanent cultures. When farming was adopted, and people saw the benefits of having food at the ready, early humans put down roots (pun intended), established long-term structures, and began to defend their territory and protect their possessions. Civilization as we know it was the ultimate result.

There are two competing theories. One is that early farmers migrated from their home area and brought their seeds, tools, and farming concepts with them. The other posits that hunter-gatherers saw the benefits of farming and decided to adopt the farming lifestyle. The latter theory seems a bit far-fetched, because it’s hard to imagine hardy hunter-gatherers appreciating the benefits of farming and radically changing their transient ways.

In short, the farmers won the Darwinian contest. Their lifestyle might have been boring compared to that of the hardy hunter-gatherers, but with their steady diets, domesticated animals, and focus on building for a better harvest next year, they were more likely to survive and pass down their genes.

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One thought on “Farmers On The Move”

Whilst farming certainly was an important social development culture was already becoming complex, even amongst hunter-gatherers. Increasingly efficient techniques for living off the land allowed larger sedentary communities to develop without farming.